Former President Donald Trump's defamation trial is underway in New York City as former Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll seeks additional damages for the defamatory statements made by Trump in 2019, when he denied her allegations of sexual assault.

In a separate trial last year, a jury already found Trump liable for sexually assaulting Carroll in the 1990s and for defaming her in a 2022 social media post, where he referred to her allegations as a "Hoax and a lie" and stated, "This woman is not my type!" Despite the jury's verdict, Trump has persistently denied any wrongdoing and has claimed not to know Carroll.

During the defense's opening statement, Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, referred to Carroll's lawsuit as an attempt to attain a monetary "windfall" over critical tweets from Twitter trolls. Habba aimed to cast doubt on the severity of the harm Carroll claimed to have endured, stating that her career had actually prospered and she had willingly sought the spotlight and fame.

Habba accused Carroll of using her story "to obtain as much fame and notoriety as possible," framing the lawsuit as an opportunity to exploit Trump for money. Highlighting Carroll's association with Trump critics, including Kathy Griffin and Mary Trump, Habba argued that Carroll actively craved fame and had achieved what she wanted.

The defense argued that Carroll's lawsuit was unrelated to the defamatory statements Trump made and was instead an attempt to hold him accountable for negative social media comments. "She expects you as the jury to give her an award for every negative comment that was thrown her way," Habba told the jury, claiming that Carroll sought a financial windfall from those comments.

In her opening statement, Carroll's attorney, Shawn Crowley, emphasized that Trump's lies about Carroll had unleashed his followers to attack her. Despite a federal jury's previous unanimous decision that Trump had sexually assaulted and defamed Carroll, he continued to perpetuate those lies during his presidential campaign.

Crowley pointed out that Trump had publicly humiliated Carroll using his position as President, resulting in the swift and brutal wrecking of her reputation. Quoting Trump's statements in 2019, Crowley highlighted his defiance that "people should pay dearly for making up accusations" and his remark that Carroll was not his type, insinuating that her alleged assault was fabricated due to her appearance.

As Carroll, now 80 years old, listened from the plaintiff's table, the jury was shown the messages posted by Trump's followers, calling her ugly and even urging her to take her own life. Crowley argued that Trump's defamatory statements had incited his supporters to go after her, stating that he knew the consequences of his actions.

Judge Lewis Kaplan instructed the jury to accept as true that Trump had forcibly sexually assaulted Carroll and had defamed her when he denied it. He emphasized that Trump's false statements had disparaged Carroll and exposed her to hatred and unsavory opinions.

However, Judge Kaplan clarified that the jury was solely responsible for determining damages related to the two defamatory statements made by Trump in June 2019. He made it clear that the trial was not an opportunity to re-litigate the prior trial where Trump was found liable for defamation and sexual assault.

Former President Trump voluntarily showed up to court for jury selection but did not return after the lunch break. It is anticipated that he will be present for at least part of tomorrow's proceedings, which will include Carroll's testimony as the first witness.

As the trial continues, both sides will present their evidences and arguments to the jury, who will ultimately decide whether additional damages should be awarded to E. Jean Carroll in light of Trump's defamatory statements.